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Senator Markey Demands Answers from Trump on TikTok Divestiture — Algorithm, China Approval and Deadline in Question

Senator Ed Markey has demanded that President Trump provide detailed information on ByteDance’s proposed sale of TikTok’s U.S. assets, arguing the administration has not followed the 2024 law’s procedures. Trump’s Sept. 25 executive order allowed 120 days to close the transaction and delayed enforcement of a potential ban until Jan. 20; about 170 million Americans use the app. Markey pressed for clarity on whether China approved the deal and whether any algorithm licensing would be a one‑time transfer or require renewals. Under the law, ByteDance would hold less than 20% of the U.S. entity.

09:28 PM, 11/24/2025Technology
Senator Markey Demands Answers from Trump on TikTok Divestiture — Algorithm, China Approval and Deadline in Question

Senator Ed Markey on Monday pressed President Donald Trump for detailed answers about a proposal by ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to sell a majority stake in the app’s U.S. operations. The senator said the White House has not adequately explained the deal’s terms or followed the procedures prescribed by a 2024 national security law.

In an executive order dated Sept. 25, President Trump determined that a proposed sale to a consortium of U.S. and international investors met the law’s national security requirements and granted the parties 120 days to complete the transaction. The order also postponed enforcement of the law — which could ban the app unless ByteDance divests — until Jan. 20. The app is used by roughly 170 million Americans.

Markey wrote that repeated extensions of the divestment deadline and vague public descriptions of the arrangement raise serious concerns about whether the agreement meaningfully addresses national security risks posed by ByteDance’s ownership.

"Your repeated unlawful extensions of the divestment deadline and vague comments about the deal raise significant questions about whether you have been able to secure an agreement that keeps TikTok online and addresses the national security concerns posed by ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok," Markey wrote in his letter to the president.

The executive order states the TikTok algorithm would be retrained and monitored by U.S. security partners and that day-to-day control of the algorithm would rest with the new U.S. joint venture. Markey asked detailed questions about how that arrangement would work in practice, including whether China has formally approved the transaction.

Specifically, the senator sought clarity on whether any licensing of the algorithm from ByteDance to TikTok U.S. would be a one-time transfer of source code or a renewable license, and whether subsequent changes by ByteDance could affect the version licensed to the U.S. entity. Under the 2024 law’s requirements, ByteDance would be required to hold less than 20% of the new U.S. company.

Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, has previously warned that a licensing arrangement for the TikTok algorithm as part of a divestiture would raise "serious concerns." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

By David Shepardson

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